Means for sound-deadening wheels



Dec. 23, 1941.

J. F. D. SMITH MEANS FOR SOUND-DEADENING WHEELS Filed Oct. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: Johnfifi Smith BY k ATTORNEY Dec. 23, 1941.

J. F. D. SMITH MEANS FOR sounnmmnaume WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 12 1939 Patented Dec 23, 1941 4 I I Ma Nsr-oa soulvn-nah anindwnf aes. 1 John FiDownie smitmlhiiadelphiagfii, a's'siig mn" 'i v to Edward-Budd Manufacturing company, i

Philadelphia, Pa; a. corporation '-oi'-" Pennsyi-z "i IVaJfiR, v i; w f1:

n flnau oi boi- 12, 1939, seiiaiN than a 1'0l(3ia.i ms. (.ClvZ95--7-) 1 7. a. c This invention in general relates tothe sounci' tarieously atio s i1 body of thenatdeadening of whe'els, igeal's and the. like, and j ural period fofthe body, 1e' not considerable more particularly to 'an 'lmproved metl' od end magnitude, is quite small ja -it 'is'by yirtue oi meansfo'rdampening and'mutingj th'e' vibrations this fact that the comparativglylight vibration in rail caliwheels .di ringlnormal operation. 51 dampenerf'oi rigid material!) th s invention is The principal object of. the invention; -is to capable merely byits'mech'ailleal' ontact'ofefnrovideeiiicient so'und deadening means thatinay fectively and'guickly ouenclin'gthe, sound vibe conveniently and economically applied to corn ebrations in acolhpai'aitljyelym'as sive oa wheel ventional types of rail car wheelsj'without mapo r'lstiluctionivf. terial. alteration thereof. a In practice, a. car wheel's'ou'nd deaden'er of the A'speciiic object is to provide a comparatively typeherein,described for examplc, may have an light weight, but substantially rigid Inernber, atactual weight ofthe order of ilQ poii nds'as' comtachable to either side of a car whelandadaptpared tolla weight av ra ing "between 600' and ed to minimize, andrestrain the natural period "706 pounds for a conventional rail car'wheeL- frequencies in, the various portions of the wheel}; Va ous devi es, mos y p y n pl s while moving along a track; l 3 bration absorhing material, many of a climber- Another object'is torprovida a method and "some,'bml l cnted andcomparatively costly conmeans of sound-deadening car .wheelshyjthe fstriictionandisusoeptiblet'otcomparativelyfearly provision of a comparatively simple ,'lightweight deterioration and damage; have been employed member applicable to' a car wheel and having-a heretofore to minimize the objectionablenoises naturalvibration -frequency substantially difier- {emanating from the wheels of 'ai'ast-moving ing'iro'mand opposed. to tire. natural vibration railwaftiaim-Whih some of these devices "effrequency of the car. wheel and its component ifected an appreciable reduction inthe intensity parts, fjof the sounds issuing from the vibrating car A further object is the provision 'rga' oar;- jwheels'; the'disposition or 'the'vibration-absorbwheel un -d ofthe i described, n 'ing'mate'r'ia-l thereto'was such as to allow' the r a type particularly adapted for quantity prom t n of the h el, fo e amp e, to viduction and a wid field 1 m use brate independently of the web where thedamp- Withthe foregoing and other objectsin view, me a ria has en cust marily apnli d. By which will appear th description proceeds 7 actual experimentation, I have discovered that it the invention resides in the method, in the corn- *ls possible-to obtain-a clean bell-like-note from bination and arrangement or parts and; t the -rim -'o'fj-awheel,' whilethe web'and hub are details of construction hereinafter described and P X 1 d-' y'S O h materialclaimed, it beingunderstood that valloils -ehanges This, 'ofcoursef'i's primarily due to structural in the precise embodiments of the invention and "difierences-in the wheel and to'the differences in thefseveralosteps of th meth emplqyeimay "in the cross-sectional area and other dimensionsbe made within the scope or what i chimed of the' web as compared to'the rim-or the hub,

without departing from the spiritofgthe iIiVenresulting d y difier ng natu al periods o actual force, required to dampen almost instan- 5 ion. v a 5 vibrationE1-To'a lesser degree, thehub'portion This invention-particularly contemplates th 0f the wheelis also capable of setting up sound sound-deadening oi wheels withoutmaterialtalo s-w h a e minimized by the means teration thereto bynthe utilization ora; method Iherein be features of the and means which difiers, among other features, invention thereiore'is the application of soundfrom prior devices designed for bhjspurpb5 :by' deadening means of the character described not d mpening the natural vibration frequencies of onlylto the Web of the wheel, but also to the rim a, wheel by the superposition ofa.=l-ight weight P i body of rigid material having a-naturalvibraa d w t e a v he invention tion frequency considerably lower-.thanaor difresides d and-m a s for qu n hin ferent from that of the car wheel "with"a .view damping i s n -"a" ra l ear Wheel 01 to the practically instantaneous dampening: or the like-by the application ofa rigid body therestoppage of the vibrations by-the neutralization twin contradistinc tion"to the application of a of the differing. frequencies thi'ough1their. 'op- -p1astic'or non-vibratabie medium: and, furtherposed phase relations. As is well known; the "more'intheextension of the vibration 'quench 5 ing body to1and including the rim and hub portions to prevent their vibrating independently of the web of the wheel.

The invention also contemplates the utilization of a rigid body for quenching vibrations in a car wheel, and a suitable adhesive or bonding medium for retaining the rigid member upon the said wheel. The bonding material may be of per se as the means primarily affording the vibration-damping results herein described. Indeed the body of rigid material, as indicated above, may-be retained in place at intervals if desired, and the extent of actual surface contact may be decidedly less than its entire area.

In the drawings wherein several preferred forms of the invention are depicted:

Figure 1 is a plan or face view of an embodiment of the sound-deadening device operativ'ely applied to a conventional type of rail car wheel;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line and as viewed in the direction of the arrows 2-201 Figure 1;

Fi ure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the sound-deadening device is additionally secured to the wheel by an adhesive: I

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figures 2 and 3 showing another modified form of the invention; and Figures 5. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 2. 3 and 4. but showing thesound-deadenin: device applied to the opposite face of the wheel. j Referring now to the drawings. the reference character A designates a car wheel. which as illustrated, may be of conventional type having a disc-like web i2 provided with anintegrally formed hub" and rim ll. In accordance with the invention. a sounddeadener or vibration-dampening member D preferably die-stamped from a sheet of rustless ferrous alloy or stainless steel and having. the general confi uration of the wheel to which it is to be attached. is fastened toeither side of said car wheel. as described hereinafter. The sound-deadening memberD, by virtue of the material em loyed, is substantially rigid, oxidation-proof. li ht in wei ht. resistant to crvstallization, and has preferably a com aratively low natural period of vibration. as afforded by its form, cross-sectional dimensions and other physical characteristics. when struck. the member D emits v.a dull, muffled sound which is quickly quenched. This is. in contradistinction to the fairly high-pitched, sustained, bell-like note emitted by a conventional type car wheel when set into vibration by a blow or during normal operation.

According to this invention, the natural period vibrations of acar wheel. such as that designated at A, are ahnost instantly damped by the vibra-. tions of the juxtaposed sound-deadening member D, which latter by reason of its relatively different vibration frequencies and consequent opposed phase relations. serves to neutralize and.

quickly quench the vibrations in the various portions of the car wheel. The net result therefore is a'substantially noiseless railway car wheel.

In practice, a preferred means for assuring the retention on the sound deadener D to the wheel is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein the web rim and hub portions of the sound-deadening member Dis of the same general configuration as the corresponding web, rim and hub portions of the wheel and consequently adapted to snugly fit thereagainst. The said member D, which as remarked above, is substantially rigid, although light in weight. includes a web l5 having an integrallyformed hub l6 and a rim II. A collar ll shrunk on a reduced portion I! of the wheel hub I3 and having its edge suitably bonded or welded, as'at. .20, to the adjacent edge of the hub ofthe sound-deadener, serves to permanently secure the latter in the position illustrated.

The rim I! of "the sound-deadener which, as

mentioned above, is configured to the shape of the rim portion H of the wheel, is provided with anannular lip 2| which seats in a corresponding annular recess 22 provided in the wheel rim II. The sound-deadener D in the instant form may be conveniently applied to or spun against the wheel A by means of a roller (not shown) having a bead or lip adapted for forcing the lip 2| into the annular recess 22 of the wheel rim. Neither adhesive nor plastic damping material is employed in this form of the invention, the member D alone, performing its functions, as above described without the intermediary of other material or means.

The extension of the sound-deadener D to embrace a substantial portion of the hub and rim portions of the wheel, as clearly shown in Figure 2 and in the figures disclosing modified forms of the invention, is particularly contemplated by this invention with a view to quenching vibrations in the said rim and hub portions of the wheel occurring independently of its web. In this form of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, I have found it preferable merely to engage the severalsurfaces of the hub, web and rim-portions of the wheel by the sound-deadener, rather than weld or fasten one to another, as by screws, since in the latter cases, there is a tendency for the welded portions or screw holes in the wheel to set up local stresses and strains considerably shortening the life of the wheel and causing it frequently to fracture or crack at an early period of use.

In Figure 3, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown which differs from the form mown in Figures 1 and 2 only by the addition of a thin layer of an adhesive 23 interposed between the sound-deadening member D and the car wheel. The adhesive 2!, by reason of the high temperatures generated immediately adjacent the tread and rim portions of the wheel A, particularly in cars where the brakes are applied directly to the rim of the wheel, must be highly resistant to heat and in this connection I have found certain cements capable of maintaining their adhesive characteristics withoutbreakdown at temperatures encountered in actual rail car operation. The adhesive 23 does not materially alter the sound-deadening characteristics of the rigid member D, but may be used. if desired, to further assure the prevention of local-movement of the device relatively to'the wheel, which might occur in certain cases as a result of violent forced oscillation of the wheel over a railway track.

In this connection, it may be pointed out the majority of ordinary adhsives and plastic materials are unsuited for use in connection with the damping of vibrations in rail car wheels by I .provided with an annular shoulder, as at 24,

which serves as an abutment for the extremity of the rim portion 25 of the modified sounddeadener E which in this form hasno grooveengaging lip or bead, as shown in the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. An adhesive 23, preferably of the type described above, may be interposed between the wheel and member E, if desired, for the same considerations mentioned with respect to Fig. 3.

The embodiments shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7 are substantially similar to those shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 respectively except thatin the first mentioned group of figures, the deadening device, therein designated D (Figs; 5, 6) and E (Fig. 7) has been applied to the face of the wheel opposite to that shown in FiguresZ. 3,

and 4. The only changes required are the transfer of the shoulders 22 and 24 of the car wheel A from the outside to the inner side of the wheel here designated A as denoted by the numerals 22 and 24* in Figs. 5, 6, and '1. A slight change is'made in the curve of the modified sounddeadening deviceD', to conform to the corresponding slight difference in contour of the inner face of the car wheel A. Otherwise, the shape and functioning of the member D are substantially the same as the member D described above.

It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing'from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as I 3 3. In a wheel such as a railway vehicle wheel of the type comprising a comparatively thick walled annular, generally radially extending disc portion and integral therewith, thick walled, generally axiallyextending hub and'rim portions, which disc, hub and rim portionsare prone to produce or amplify vibrations; an annular comparativelythin walled, substantially rigid; dishformed member having one of its surfaces coextensive with and shaped conforming to at least a considerable annular part of one ofthe side'surfaces presented by said three wheel portions;

- means for holding said surface of said member against said surface part ofv said'wheelportions thereby dampening vibrations of the latter.

4. In a wheel such as .a railway vehicle wheel of the type having a comparatively thick walled, generally radially extending annular portion, which portion is liable to produce or amplify vibrations; an annular comparatively thin walled member of substantially rigid,material, said member" having one of its surfaces coextensive with and substantially conforming to at least a wide annular part of one of the side surfaces of said annular wheel portion: means for holding said surface of said member against said surface part of said wheel portion. thereby dampening the vibrations of the latter, and a thin layer of sound dampening materialbetween said opposing surfaces for further improving the sound deadening eilect.

5. In a wheel such as a railway vehicle wheel of the type having a generally radially extending comparatively thick walled annular portion,

which portion is liableto produce or amplify vibrations; a comparatively thin walled annular member of substantially rigid material, said illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention; and it will be further understood that each and every novel feature and combination present in or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed, forms a part of the invention included in the application.

What I claim is:

1. In a wheel such as a railway vehicle wheel of the type having a radially extending comparatively thick walled annular portion, which portion is liable to produce or amplify vibrationsi an annular comparatively thin walled member of substantially rigid material, said member having one of its surfaces coextensive with and conforming in its shape to a wide, annular part of one of the flanks of said annular wheel portion; means for holding said surface of said member against said flank of said wheel portion thereby dampening the vibrations of the latter.

2. In a wheel such as a railway vehicle'wheel ofthe type comprising a comparatively thick walled, generally radially extending disc portion and a second adjoining thick walled generally axially extending cylindrical portion, which portions are prone to produce or amplify vibrations; an annular comparatively thin walled, dishformed member of substantially rigid material,

saidlmember having one of its surfaces coextensivewith and shaped to conform with at least a considerable annular part of one of the side surfaces of said adjoining wheel portions; means for holding said surface of said member against said member having one of its surfaces coextensive with and conforming substantially to a comparatively wide annular part of one of the side surfaces of said annular wheel portion; means for holding said surface of said member against said surface part of said wheel portion thereby damp-'- ening the vibrations of the latter, said meanscomprising an adhesive between said opposing surfaces.

6. In a wheel such as a railway vehicle wheel of the type comprising a comparatively thick walled, generally radially extending disc portion and an adjoining, generally cylindrical thick walled portion projecting in axial direction be yond said disc portion, said portions being prone to produceor amplify vibrations; an annular comparatively thin walled, dish-formed member of substantially rigid material, said member having one of its surfaces coextensive with and shaped to conform to at least a considerable part of one of the side surfaces of said adjoining wheel portions; means for holding said surface of said member against said surface part'of said wheel portions so as to dampen vibrations of the latter, said means comprising interengaging parts 4- surfaces coextensivewith and shaped to conformto at least a; considerable part oi'one of the side surfaces of said adjoining whee1portions;'-means for holding said surface of said member agar-inst said surface of said wheel portlons'so j asto'dsrnpen vibrations of the latterg;ssid -means'coinprising a radially extending projection .on-"the'surface of said cylindrical wheel"portion-*being spaced from the adjoininspert of thesurfa'ce-of the disc 'portion', and a. marginal portion-of said member being adsptedto: he forcibly snspped behlnd' and consequently; retained by saldspro- Jectlon'. v f l. 8. In a. wheel sucir'a railway .vehlcle wheel of the type cornprlsing'acomparatively thick -wslled, generally radially .extending disc. portion and an adjoining; generally cylindrical thick walled portlonnxia'lly projecting'beyond said? disc portion, said portions-being prone to produce cp -amplify vibrations; =a comparatively thin walled, dishconsiderable part of one of the-side surfaces of said adjoining wheel portions; means for holdformed member; ofsubstantially rigid material, said member-having one-.01 its surfaces coexten- ,slve with and shaped to. conform tozat least a ing seid surfae eof said member'against saidusurface ol-said'qwheel portions so as to dampen vibrations of the lettersaid means comprising-a redialgroove in the; sn rfsce of. said cylindrical hee p n h ch iss ed f o -thela ioini s radially extending projection being formed on said member and being adapted-to engasesaid groove.

. rt of-the surface oil-said portion, ,and a 9. In a wheel such as s railwayvehicle wheel "of" the type comprising a" comparatively thick wslled'nnnulsr, generally radially extending disc portion-and int grsl therewith; thick walled hub and rim portions, said hub and-rlmportions pro- "--j ,e'ctin'g m 'sxial' direction beyond the adjoining part-of sald disc' portion; said disc, hub and rim portions being" pron'ejto produce or amplify vi brat'ionsfan' annular comparatively thin walled,

"snbstantisl-ly rigid; dish-formed member having one c'Htssurfscesccextcnsive with and shaped conl'iimihg;to; at least a considerable annular ""pert'jof one-of the side surfaces presented by said 'th'reewlieel portions; means for holding said surface'ofsald'membesagainst said surface of said wheel portions thereby dampening vibrawhich member is coextensive with and correfs'ponds'substantis1ly to'at least a part of one lste'ralsurface of s 'wh'ee l comprising a. generally radially extendingdisc portion and adjoining hi'rially extending hub and rim portions and which'is-edapte'd'to'be held against said surface t of said-wheel portions so s to m as 5 D f 9 'ebsorber.- 

